Rush Limbaugh Compares Katrina Victims to Iowa Victims!

Originally posted by maria_stardust
Talk about blatant stereotyping! Isn't it easy to broadly paint the illict acts of a few upon the whole of New Orleans.

Leave it to Rush to stir up a little race-baiting. Apparently his strategy of appealing to the lowest denominator works.

[edit on 6/19/2008 by maria_stardust]

You have to be kidding me. "Broadly paint the illicit acts of a few upon the whole..." I thought you were talking about your view of the military,
or republicans, or successful Americans, or Capitolism, or etc...

The strategy of appealing to the lower demoninator has never been as blatant as it is in American schools from elementary all the way through higher
academia. For generations now liberals have tried to steal what it was to be American and replace it with big government.

The glaring differences between the way citizens of the same nation behaved and what they expected during these two disasters shows anyone who will
look what the difference means when the *it hits the fan.

Race is not really the issue here. Its values and the principals by which people live their lives... Comparing the Iowa floods and the Katrina
disaster is not a race issue. It is a truly black and white issue though...

There are major differences in the way the black and white societies in this country value life and property. This is a major truth that is not
discussed and until it is we will never get beyond what some here call race baiting.

Clearly we can look at this objectively can't we? In the two examples of disaster and aftermath discussed here we can see clearly the differences in
how black society and white society value life and property. Maybe its not even values as much as the ability to prepare, organize and work together?
Maybe black society is not capable of doing what is needed to prosper and survive in western society?

Until we have this discussion as a society we will never get beyond being called a racist for pointing out the obvious…

Have any of you people ever been to Cedar Rapids or Waterloo Iowa. If you have then you would know that there is a large amount of minorities that
live in the downtown areas that were flooded. And this is the worst flood that we have seen here in Iowa the rivers were double the flood stage and
nobody knew if the leeves would hold but everyone complied with the evacuation. So yes it is not a race thing it is a morals and values thing

Originally posted by eric52081
This man is right I havn't seen any looting or crime or any complaining from the good people of Iowa so why did they complain in New Orleans when
katrina hit. This really drives a point of mine home thats for sure. Here is a link to the website.

Well, would you expect any better from New Orleans, which has one of the worst crime rates in North America, a horribly-managed local government and a
population accustomed to laziness and unaccountability? Of course people in the Heartland are going to behave in a more positive matter. It's simple
demographics.

Thank you. I completely agree. When you have a more rural community, (such as the one I live it) people are more inclined to pull together, rather
than to exploit the situation.

Now..... please keep in mind, that much of what we saw on tv after the horror of Katrina focused primarily on the negative. I have two good friends
in SAR and emergency management that live there, lost their homes as well, stayed either with out-of-area relatives or in a FEMA trailer, and rebuilt
their homes, stick by stick as they could afford to. Both were railroaded (IMO) by the insurance companies that refused to consider damage as
hurricane caused, but as flood related. Both were elbow to........ ummmm... elbow to elbow with others, conducting rescues, saving lives, and they
weren't just a small group of folks. They were part of many small groups of people of all ethnicity, training and untrained pulling together to do
the best for themselves.

I think in general also, people in a city setting are less likely to make preparations for themselves, less able to take care of themselves in the
absence of power, and tend less toward knowing their neighbors, and thus caring about them.

When I was stuck in rush hour traffic, driving home from work, they were doing the 5 minute news at the top of the hour and they were talking about
the floods in Iowa, 14 more levees were likely to fail, flooding trickling down to Missouri etc...

They had a farmer on, who was working side by side with prisoners from the prisons in Iowa that VOLUNTEERED to help them bag sand...and the farmer was
asked..."So have you had anyone from FEMA show up, what's the government doing for you in this emergency?" By a "reporter."

And the farmer answered, "We don't need FEMA or the government, we have neighbors."

Originally posted by groingrinder
Before anyone rebuilds a flood ravaged town, they should be required to backfill the site to the flood level. It seems like they are just asking for
it to rebuild towns below the level of adjacent flood plains.

I can't speak for the Mississippi River region, but in Missouri; along the Missouri, Platte, and 102 River bottoms. Dozens of vacation or lake homes
were bought and several towns relocated to higher areas, after the 1993 floods.

Same applies to areas within the Missouri River flood plain on the Kansas side.

Many homes bought by the Corp of Engineers for a one time deal. You either sold the property or repaired the home with no flood insurance in the
future. This eliminated many flood claims that this years floods would have made.

Much of this land was turned back into wetlands for flood control during periods of high water.

Originally posted by LateApexer313
When I was stuck in rush hour traffic, driving home from work, they were doing the 5 minute news at the top of the hour and they were talking about
the floods in Iowa, 14 more levees were likely to fail, flooding trickling down to Missouri etc...

They had a farmer on, who was working side by side with prisoners from the prisons in Iowa that VOLUNTEERED to help them bag sand...and the farmer was
asked..."So have you had anyone from FEMA show up, what's the government doing for you in this emergency?" By a "reporter."

And the farmer answered, "We don't need FEMA or the government, we have neighbors."

Pretty much says it all, folks.

Wow that quote brings a tear to my eye. True America at work there. This is what America should be about. Hopefully one day we can get rid of this
big government and bring America back to its roots. Star for you sir.

As far as I knew after the fact it turned out there was some EXTREME exaggeration taking place in the media that simply didn't pan out. Since
people in this thread (and Rush apparently) are using the wild rumors as a stated fact and to draw up a difference in the quality of the
individuals...can anyone prove that the claims were actually true?!

I don't want to hear from your cousin Bobby-Joe that heard from so-and-so. People who wanted to, took the medias word that those
"Mad-Max-post-apocalyptic" behaviors were taking place. They took it with ease.

He was inside the Superdome:

Bill Waldron, a homicide detective from Florida in New Orleans for a murder trial, was stuck in the convention center until Sept. 1. He said he
saw a couple of fights between young men, but “no murders, no rapes.” He said that he did see people dying, but that those deaths were most likely
a result of the heat and lack of water. MSNBC

A National Guardsman reported that soldiers had found 30-40 bodies inside a freezer, which included a little girl with a slit throat. Yet those bodies
disappeared after the police entered the Superdome.

Where did they go?

Did you even know they weren't there or are you still being a sucker for a good horror story? Why don't you believe these respected sources in the
media when they say that there is no proof that those stories are true?

I grew up in West Virginia. Small city where you probably knew everyone or the degrees of separation were not that far apart. In the city I moved to
after high school I saw levels of poverty I couldn't fully relate to and yes we had poverty in WVa. I lived with coal miners, farmers etc...but it
just wasn't the same as city poverty. It is so easy to judge without a valid point of experience, but difficult to understand and even more to solve.
If you really are concerned, then stop whining about what people in poverty do and do something to work to change it. Don't use their
lifestyle for an ego-boost that is just too easy and serves to reveal personal insecurities.

"See how they behave? I don't do that, I'm better."
Okay...we get it. Now what?

Rush as usual continues his method of divide and conquer that those angry bigots or hard-right conservatives love to hear and can't wait to spout. No
matter how skewed it really is. It's just a way to keep us at each others throats while the top profit from it in numerous ways. No possible
solutions just finger pointing.

So since many people in this thread have been regurgitating the erroneous ficiton, please PROVEPROVEPROVE that the extreme
tales of a post Katrina NO were true, before using them to justify your bigoted attitudes and desires to draw negative lines between Americans.

We should all definitely be praising them up in Iowa and other places for the way they're handling this! The farmer said it all... "We don't need
FEMA or the Government, we have neighbors". They are truly setting an example and getting to the root of what America is (was) all about.

On the other hand, that in no way means we should compare and contrast with New Orleans and how they handled things down there in a similar situation.
Maybe with Katrina so fresh in their minds the Iowans resolved to be much better prepared? What happened in NO was something none of its residents
were truly prepared for.

why would this be a topic unless your just a hater of the republican party. Hey guys I got news for you, without the republican party there would be
no democratic party. Without the far right there would be no far left...Food for thought. Also who cares if he compares it to katrina, maybe he was
just talking about the amount of water and the comparison of people displaced by flooding... Makes sense to me, but not to someone who cant put their
dislike and hatered for another party aside.

Originally posted by Santeria
On the other hand, that in no way means we should compare and contrast with New Orleans and how they handled things down there in a similar situation.
Maybe with Katrina so fresh in their minds the Iowans resolved to be much better prepared? What happened in NO was something none of its residents
were truly prepared for.
[edit on 6/19/2008 by Santeria]

I don't think that is true. What about the 1993 floods? That was a huge event that hit the bread basket and you still didn't see the events
transpire as they did with Katrina.

Morals and values dictate what happen in Iowa and New Orleans during times like these. Just as they dictate everyday life in these two different parts
of the country.

In a time of disaster we can clearly see the way that people live in their everyday life will dictate how they respond to disaster and destruction of
their communities... If you work hard, live a good life and have a moral foundation then you can overcome many things. If you live a life of the
grasshopper you can expect to be tested and fail that test.

So since many people in this thread have been regurgitating the erroneous ficiton, please PROVEPROVEPROVE that the extreme
tales of a post Katrina NO were true, before using them to justify your bigoted attitudes and desires to draw negative lines between Americans.

Again value of life and property is the issue here. Do we see this in Iowa? Do we see any of these kinds of stories coming out of this disaster today?
No we don't. That should really be the topic...

What groups in our society value life and property the most? Do you need to protect your life from your fellow man when you are just trying to get by
during a disaster? I don't see that in Iowa... I did see it during Katrina. We even saw it from the local government officials down there...

There is a difference and denying it does no one any good least of all the group that needs to be taught a moral foundation and some training on how
to live in a civil society...

New Orleans and Louisiana leadership dropped the ball during Katrina and the bad guys picked it up and ran with it. The only people who said any
different were the ones who caused the mess and a bunch of lying Politicians spinning like a top.

The Katrina victims sat around and waited for somebody to wipe their butts when they could have walked out on their own in a day had they not been
programed to let others do everything for them.

Defending the pond scum who robbed, looted, raped and murdered is beyond reprehensible.

This is a great lesson in how if people don't learn to get off their bottoms and do things for themselves they deserve whatever happens to them.
Emergency service people are just ordinary people with a spine and common sense.

What went on in New Orleans was caused by the same kind of lowlifes who walked by that man who was hit by a car a couple of weeks ago except they
would have stolen his wallet too.

The corruption in New Orleans was well known and widely reported long before Katrina happened. I just hope none of the money I donated went to any of
losers who are still living on welfare in government trailers today as we speak.

I'll never send another dime to help New Orleans, but I'll help those right next to them who immediately went to work to fix things. What kind of
idiots live below sea level in Hurricane Alley anyway. Geniuses I suppose.

People in New Orleans also had a warning and a chance to get out. They refused to leave. They even had buses go through the city to pick up people
that didn't have any transportation. Oh and Cool Hand forgot to mention when these people get bored they rape and murder innocent victims. They
raped and killed many people just in the Super Dome. And the others that were in the Dome just watched and did nothing to help them. Im sorrry I
have no respect for them. And by the way I went through hurricane Rita so I have a little experience on this whole matter. Even the people that they
evacuated from New Orleans were very violent people and they would steal just about anything they could. There are still stories of people that
evacuated Katrina that refuse to work and only want shelter and free food. That is insane to me. They need to get off their butt and work for a
living.

Not everyone refused to leave. My family and I did get out.
The plan to evacuate residents who didn't have a car by bus plan was on paper, but for some inexplicable reason, it wasn't activated.
Also, outgoing Greyhound and trains were shut down 3 days before the storm. Why, I really don't know.

I have to call you on the Superdome. I know several officers who were stationed at the Dome. They all told me that Yes, things did happen but most of
the rumors are just that. Rumors.

Do not make the assumption that everyone from New Orleans are violent or don't want to work. We certainly do have our share of lazy people, but
that's everywhere.
My husband and I both were able to transfer to a different office so we were able to work almost right after the storm.

Despite having six feet of water in our home, we managed to get our house repaired within two years.

Yes, we are fortunate. However, if I had made the choice to stay instead of leave, chances are I would have taken food and water from the corner store
to survive. I can excuse people taking what they need to survive.

Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco were too busy bickering amongst themselves and everyone else to be of much help. People were desperate and they did
what they needed to do.
Now those who decided to take electronics, fancy clothes etc. That was appalling, but it happened and I feel ashamed that it did.

I am not making excuses for those who have done bad things during the aftermath nor am I defending laziness. It is pitiful and it makes the
hardworking people who live here look bad.

I am not making excuses for those who have done bad things during the aftermath nor am I defending laziness. It is pitiful and it makes the
hardworking people who live here look bad.

And we need more people like you in every state of the union. We need more people willing to work together durning those times but during Katrina it
wasn't the case. When you have the cops doing the same thing as the crooks everyone loses.

Moral decay is what it really is. It has not changed that much from what I hear. Are you safe from crime where you are? After all the work you did I
hope you are...

I think your logic is flawed, are you saying that middle class black americans would go out looting and raping after a natural disaster? Yes there are
communties that have black people who would take advantage of such things. But to say the whole society has a disconnect with vaules, life and
property is a bit much. Reading this thread as well as others like it, just goes to show that far too many americans today don't talk to each other
and have no idea about the community they live in. Get off the computer, take a drive and talk to people. Stop relying on other people for your
info....

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